


Rayllum Birthday Bash 2020

by Imawriteritswhatido



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imawriteritswhatido/pseuds/Imawriteritswhatido
Summary: from July first to Thirty First, grab your prompts and wheel out your best drabbles for our favorite elf/human couple. And here are mine!
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	1. Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wordswithdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordswithdragons/gifts).



> Let's see if procrastinators really do work better in the final minutes.

“Rayla…”

  
Not now. Rayla didn’t want to wake up now. She was warm and snuggly in her bed, she was enjoying having a good night’s sleep, and the soothing sound of rain against her window was so relaxing.

  
But now, someone was whispering into her ear, lips ghosting over the shell.

  
“Rayla…”

  
The soft whisper and the warm breath sent shivers through her and she instinctively curled into herself, determined to continue her peaceful slumber.

  
“Rayla…”

  
“I’m not getting up.” she said and pulled the covers up around her. Another butterfly kiss landed on the shell of her ear.

  
“Rayla…it’s time to get up.”

  
“No it’s not.” Rayla said, turning over. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He seemed to take the hint and climbed back under the blankets with her.

  
Good, thought Rayla, now back to sleep. Though she had to wonder just why someone would try to wake her up so early on the weekend.

  
She couldn’t have been dozing for more than a minute when she felt her nightshirt getting pushed up and the definite sensation of her lover planting a long wet raspberry on her stomach.

  
“Callum,” she half cackled, scrambling to get out of his grip as he laughed, “what the hell!?”

  
“Happy anniversary.” he laughed.


	2. Baking/Cooking

Getting up on a Thursday morning, people usually don’t expect to find the kitchen covered in soot. But then again, Callum’s Thursdays hadn’t been typical since the whole “egg of the dragon” prince incident.

  
“Rayla?”

  
Rayla turned away from the oven, covered in what looked like ash and rubbing her eyes.

  
“Callum,” she said, coughing, “you’re—you’re not supposed to be up.”

  
“And you’re not supposed to be…”

  
He paused, trying to choose his words carefully.

  
“Making breakfast,” Rayla said, holding up a frying pan with something black and crinkled in it. From the smell, Callum supposed it could either be bacon, charred wood, or some unholy hybrid of both. Not wanting to be rude, Callum took a piece from the skillet and took a bite.

  
“It’s good,” he said, fighting not to grimace, “it’s pretty good.”

  
He didn’t have the heart to tell his incredible, thoughtful girlfriend that her bacon tasted like charcoal.

  
“Oh, that’s a relief,” Rayla said, relief in her voice, “Now; let’s see how that casserole is doing.”

  
From the fumes that came from the oven when Rayla opened it, Callum had to wonder if it was even a casserole anymore.


	3. Mistake/Amends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a sequel to the first chapter. It's late and out of order, but I feel like it turned out well. Don't forget to tell me if you liked it in the comments.

“Rayla…”

“No.”

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“Come on, Rayla. It was a joke.”

Callum broke the rules of the ticklish tummy. She would give him no quarter, nor ask any.

“No,” she said, “You don’t get off from giving me a wet raspberry.”

From somewhere (damn magic), Callum produced a bouquet of blue roses.

“But I gave it to you with the best intentions.”

She wasn’t about to take his dumb magic roses while he was giving her that sincere yet cheeky smile. He gave her a wet raspberry.

“I’ll make you a special anniversary breakfast.”

“You do that every year.”

“But this year,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “I got you something extra.”

Callum pulled out a small, ovoid box made of cherry wood.

“Go on,” he said, taking Rayla’s hand and placing the box in it. “It’s for you.”

Rayla opened the box and felt her heart flutter. Nestled inside was a pendant of white gold, a crescent made of moonstones in the center.

“Callum, it’s beautiful.”

“So,” he said, shifting a little, “am I forgiven?”

Rayla smirked.

“I don’t know. Let’s see how my special anniversary breakfast turns out.”


	4. Nightmares/Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in one day? I am on FIRE!

Two in one day? I am on fire!

She has nightmares about people drowning.

Callum knew Rayla had problems with water, since the first week of knowing her, but he never expected it to be this bad.

He thought the worst of it was the motion sickness, but to have Rayla waking up in the middle of the night trying to find Ezran because she’d had a dream about him trapped under a frozen lake raised a lot of questions Callum wasn’t sure he wanted answers to.

Where did this come from?

He knew they joked about how Runaan had tossed her into the lake once as a child, but this was something else. This was latent trauma.

Did someone she knew drown? Or almost die on the water?

He doesn’t dare ask. Not yet anyway. It took jumping off a tower for them to get together, he was not about to end up in a situation like that again.

This would require a delicate touch.

And empathy.

And no shortage of comfort food.

In the coming weeks, he’ll go to the silver grove, he’ll ask Ethari about what happened, he’ll burn as many fingers as he has as many times as he needs making her favorite dishes, spend whatever he has on him on gifts for her, find a counselor for her to see, whatever it takes to make it okay.

But right now, in the middle of the night, when she’s weeping into his shoulder, the first time he’s seen her like this in a long time, he’ll just hold her and let her get it all out of her system.


	5. Travel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's goofy and rambling, but I don't think anyone will mind.

Ezran had to admit Ellis was nice. Not that anything else on the road trip to Alaska wasn’t nice. In fact, it was all pretty nice.

Rayla’s old Volkswagon bus (well, according to her it was her uncle’s Volkswagon bus) was cozy and covered in shag carpeting. And the chipped green paint made it seem lived in.

The first time his brother had said ‘let’s go on a roadtrip to Alaska’ Ezran hadn’t really known what to think of it. What was so great about Alaska?

Of course, it wasn’t really Alaska that was important, but rather the company. Long hours of listening to music, loading the really old portable TV with the VHS player into the car to watch all their grainy old nineties movies, using Bunji cords to make sure Bait’s aquarium wouldn’t slide around, sleeping under old homemade blankets, telling stories, playing slugbug, picnicking or eating out for every meal. Honestly, it was just a beautiful time all around. Except for that one time they almost hit that moose.

But the most interesting part of the journey to Alaska was watching his brother and his “best friend” grow closer and closer.

When he’d first met Rayla, she had been trying to destroy Callum for a reason he couldn’t fathom, but might have had to do with Callum’s job at the rollercade.

Well, not destroy him per say, more just cream him at skee ball. She was notoriously good at that game.

At least according to Callum anyway.

His brother sure was quick with the compliments when it came to Rayla.

But compliments weren’t the only thing that he gave easily to Rayla. One mixed up order at McDonald’s had left Rayla without a dessert and Callum readily handed over his cherry pie to her no questions asked.

Two miles later at a pawn shop, Callum had spent some of their food money on a bracelet for Rayla.

Ez had seen Pride & Prejudice enough to know what an unspoken attraction was (it was Soren’s favorite movie after all).

And he may only be starting middle school in the fall, but he could be perceptive. And his perceptiveness told him that whatever Callum had, Rayla had it too.

He’d seen how Rayla took an interest in all of Callum’s b movies. Or how she’d never taken the bracelet he’d given her at the pawn shop since she’d gotten it.

Or how Rayla stared just long enough for Ezran to catch her staring at Callum’s arms when he lifted something onto the VW’s roof.

maybe that was the plan? Callum wanted to spend time with Rayla?

Ez couldn’t begrudge him that. Rayla was really cool and funny and this trip had been the most fun they’d had in a long time.

And they’d actually gotten to see the Northern Lights. Pretty cool, actually. And watching Rayla and Callum huddle under a blanket together, that was actually sweet.

If Ezran didn’t know any better, he’d say that this trip was just about perfect.

Then the VW had broken down on the first mile home and Rayla had sworn at it in a distinctly Scottish way.

And in a dead zone of all places.

It wasn’t until a girl with a good sized dog had come upon them that they were able to push it to a garage (that was Ellis, in case he hadn’t mentioned that before). Only, the people they needed to fix it were elsewhere, leaving them stuck.

Which left Ezran sitting on a rock, Bait in his lap while Rayla and Callum fiddled with the engine.

Ellis sat down beside him.

“Do they know anything about engines?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” said Ezran, “Callum doesn’t.”

“Well, they’d probably be better off waiting until my dad gets back.” Ellis said.

“Probably,” Ezran agreed. He reached over and gave Ellis’s dog, Ava, a few pets.

“So, any reason you guys are up this far north?”

Ezran smiled.

“I think my brother wants to ask Rayla to be his girlfriend.”

“Really,” Ellis asked, “where are you guys from?”

“Los Angeles.”

“Your brother came all the way to Barrow just to ask a girl to be his girlfriend?”

There was a yelp from across the yard and Ezran just caught site of his brother diving hands first into a snow drift.

“Your brother’s kind of a dork.” said Ellis.

Ezran nodded.

“Yes, but he’s my dork. And I hope he’s Rayla’s dork, too.”


	6. Domesticity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another one  
> 

“Callum.”

This was payback for the anniversary wet raspberry. Callum knew it. He didn’t know if Rayla knew it, but the karmic implications of this moment were there for all to see.

“Callum.”

Callum blinked the sleep from his eyes as best he could and turned to look over at his pregnant wife.

“Yes, Rayla,” he asked, “what is it?”

“Could you make me a sandwich?”

“Cravings?” he asked.

Rayla nodded.

Callum looked to the hourglass on their bedside table. About half the sand had run to the bottom of the glass, meaning that it was around midnight.

“Alright,” he said, climbing out of bed, “What are you hungry for?”

“Celami,” Rayla said.

“Celami,” Callum repeated, committing it to memory.

“With extra mustard,” Rayla said, “and orange peppers.”

“Got it,” said Callum, pulling on a shirt.

“And can you bring me my iron supplements?”

“Be right back,” Callum said, kissing her temple and heading for the bedroom door. Pregnancy could be a strange thing. Especially since two months ago, Rayla didn’t even like Celami or peppers.


	7. Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one feels a little late, but I think you guys'll like it. And for the record, the "Thousandth Day" Ethari mentions is based on the Korean custom of the "hundredth day celebration" which celebrates an infant's one-hundredth day of life.

“That’s not dancing,” said Runaan, “how is that dancing?”

“It’s how some humans dance,” said Ethari, handing Runaan a drink, “at least I think so.”

A Moonshadow wedding was a simple affair. Handfasting and a dance witnessed by close friends and family, and that was it.

But human weddings? Humans threw ridiculous functions for everything. In fact, they seemed to take solace in just how ridiculous it really was. Gold and red banners hung from the ceiling of the grand ball room (it was either a festival or a party, why call it a ball?), flowers everywhere, a massive buffet that would probably never be finished, guests brought by other guests, he thought he’d seen one woman dressed head to toe in feathers.

The eldest prince of Katolis (and newly minted high mage, he equivocated. He still needed time to adjust to saying it out loud) and his former protégé dancing in the middle of a throng of dancing humans. Or at least they said they were dancing. It looked more like neutered swaying in each other’s arms to Runaan. But really, who could dance to the music the band was playing? Snails?

“Is the dancing really what’s bothering you?” Ethari asked, sitting down beside him.

“Well, wouldn’t bother you?” Runaan asked, gesturing in Rayla’s general direction, “I mean his hands are right over her…”

He didn’t finish, just awkwardly waved in the bride and groom’s direction.

“Well, they are married,” Ethari said, taking a sip of his own drink, “I’d be more surprised if his hands weren’t there.”

Runaan couldn’t bring himself to glare at him.

“But really, you don’t have to dance,” said Ethari, “there’s plenty of people to talk to.”

“I’m not sure that they’d want to talk to me,” said Runaan, watching as another human dignitary headed for the door.

“Where have I heard that one before,” said Ethari, taking another sip of his drink.

“Beg pardon?”

“A certain someone, sitting all by their self at their soon-to-be apprentice’s thousandth day, not really sure what to do with all these people in the same room, until a handsome elf walks by and asks if they would like some company.”

Runaan rolled his eyes.

“You’re hilarious.”

“Well, one of us has to be,” said Ethari, “You’re the one with the nice bottom and the slish-slash and I’m the one with the steady job and the sense of humor.”

“Slish-slash?”

“Something I picked up from the groom.”

Ethari put his free arm around Runaan’s shoulder.

“Which isn’t as bad as it sounds.”

Across the room, the bride and her groom were now at the buffet table together.

“He’s considerate, brave, loyal, loves Rayla enough to jump off a cliff for her.”

“So I’ve heard,” said Runaan.

“Wouldn’t you do the same?”

Runaan sighed and took the first sip of his drink. He hated to admit it, but Ethari was right. Callum had done so much, not just for their family, but for all of Xadia. And the fact that all he wanted to do was make his appr—who was he kidding, his _daughter_ happy, said more about his character than any second hand stories he’d heard about humans.

Really, the fact that they had included the line ‘my heart for Xadia, my heart for you’ in their vows should have tipped him off.

“She’s not the little baby who we celebrated living for a thousand days anymore,” Ethari continued, “or the little elf play fighting with sticks, either.”

“You’re right.”

“She’s growing up. And we—wait, what?”

“I said you’re right. And maybe…maybe I should make some kind of dedication or something. Humans like that sort of thing right?”

Ethari smiled.

“You are just the sweetest elf alive.” he said, drawing Runaan closer.

If the flushed feeling in his cheeks was any indicator, Runaan was probably blushing.


	8. Written in the Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an update. Rayllum isn't a major theme in this one, but they're there. You just have to read. Anyway, don't forget to comment and leave kudos.

Fothad shook his head as the runes landed in an even worse way then before. Honestly, these stupid little tablets were supposed to relieve his worries, not exacerbate them.

Not that he wasn’t famously grumpy to begin with. Especially since his protégé had come bursting in, without this week’s shopping ( _again_ ), saying wild things like ‘Did you hear? The Dragon Queen has sent Moonshadow elves to Katolis. Why Katolis of all places?’

Aisling was a promising seer and a good kid, but sometimes she could err on the side of gossip rather than knowledge.

‘Probably because of Avizandum’s death and the destruction of the egg,’ he’d told her, before promising to get the shopping himself in a few hours and telling her to go study the books he’d left in her room.

But even after that incident, Fothad had found himself unable to focus.

Assassins in Katolis? That would not bode well for anyone. True, he was as upset about the king’s death as anyone, but what would revenge do? It’s wouldn’t bring anyone back. You might as well be angry at a rabid animal.

Humans were careless and stupid, not the pure evil beasts that everyone needs to believe they are so they can feel morally right. Besides, the last three Dragon Kings had been sullen and self-serious. Especially Sol Regem. How someone that pompous and violent had wormed their way back to their old job was beyond him. Xadia could do with less of an alpha male leader.

Preferring not to dwell on that bumptious lizard, he decided to try some rune casting to ease his nerves.

Sure, divination wasn’t the flashiest of magic, but Fothad had been a seer most of his life and didn’t need to freeze helpless elves just to feel special about himself. Let Queen Khessa be the petty and insecure one.

He cleared his mind of all but his most burning question.

_What will be the outcome of the Assassination attempt in Katolis._

The first two draws had ended up with less than stellar outcomes, with runes representing fallibility, slavery, frailty, and crisis. Fothad scooped the runes into his bag and shook it, readying to try a third time.

It didn’t matter if someone would call that cheating, he was trying to relax, dammit.

He reached into the bag and drew the first tablet, laying it down on his rune cloth.

Hagalaz; wrath of nature, trials, destruction, and tests, the same rune he’d drawn the first two times.

That was fair enough. Dragons were a force of nature onto themselves, and the assassins were going to bring destruction to the human king and his family. But tests and trials? That forewarned of consequences.

Not that the council of the Silvergrove would listen. As far as some elves were concerned, consequences were for people without magic. He sat the first rune down on his rune cloth and fished out another one.

The middle rune came up as Gebo on its side. That meant greed, loneliness, and obligation would be the challenges of this situation. Not what he’d have wanted, but he could see how it could tie into this whole affair.

Moonshadow elves loved their obligations (he was no stranger to this) and humans could be obscenely gluttonous. But where did loneliness come in?

Perhaps the third rune would reveal the answer, the possible course of action that could be taken.

Fothad reached into the bag for the final rune and scowled at what he drew out.

Tiwaz on it’s side. Strife, war, stupidity, and dumbness, his least favorite things.

“Fothad!”

Again? What was with his apprentice and bursting in today?

“Yes, Aisling, what is it?” he asked, keeping his tone even.

“I had a dream!”

Now that was interesting. Dreams could be gateways into things to be or were, if you believed some of the elders.

“I was reading like you asked me to, fell asleep and I had a dream!”

“You already said you had a dream, Aisling, just tell me what it is.”

Aisling paused, taking a seat at the table where Fothad was sitting.

“Well,” said Aisling, “I saw big long table, with elves eating on one side and humans eating on the other. And for some reason I knew it was a really wobbly table.”

“That could mean dissention and isolation within a group, even a close-knit one” said Fothad, stroking his chin, “go on.”

“Everyone had an abacus,” Aisling continued, “that means outdated views right?”

“That’s right,” said Fothad. She must have been studying after all and not lollygagging like he’d thought.”

“Right. So, anyway, everyone had an abacus except for these three kids at the front of the table.”

“Did you recognize them?”

Aisling shook her head.

“No. Two of them were humans and one was an elf. And they were all eating abalone.”

“Abalone,” said Fothad. He might be misremembering, but that was evocative of a transitional period in life.

“That’s right. Then, one of the boys and the elf got up and held hands. And that’s when everyone else in the room started fighting.”

Fothad didn’t know what to make of that.

“I think they’re important.”

“What?” Fothad asked.

“The elf girl and the human boy. I think they’re important.”

Fothad looked at his runes out of the corner of his eye. A bond between an elf and a human would certainly be a mess of obligations and trials. Did it have something to do with the assassins at the castle?

“Aisling,” he said, “how much do you know about the assassins sent to the castle?”

Aisling shrugged.

“Only that one of them’s about my age.”

“And do you know how old the human prince is?”

Aisling scratched her head, brows knit together in deep thought.

“I don’t know,” she said at last, “do you think that one of those boy’s was King Harrow’s son?”

“I’d bet a whole pickled Glow Toad on it.”

Aisling stuck her tongue out in disgust.

“Fothad, you eat the weirdest things.”

“Anything pickled is good. You’re just angry because it’s true,” Fothad replied, gathering up his runes,” but I do think your dream was important.”

Aisling perked up.

“Really?”

Fothad nodded.

“I have a feeling that something very big is going to happen.”

“Big in a good way,” Aisling asked, “or big in a bad way?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, looking out his window to the Silvergrove.

Who were the elf and the human boy Aisling had seen in her dream? Friends? Lovers? Saviors?

Who knew? The point was, things were about to get very interesting in Xadia.

He wondered if it would be in poor taste to plan a vacation.


	9. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since time is of the essence, I’m officially going out of order with the prompts. I will, however, endeavor to honor the date of the final prompt, July 31st with it’s appropriate theme. Now that that’s out of the way, enjoy!

Monday, July 27th, the day they’d decided on last month rolled around with no ceremony. He’d picked out his best dress shirt.

He’d found a nice café with a scenic root on the edge of town that served some pretty good elven cuisine and had a shop nearby they could peruse if they wanted.

He’d given Ezran and Soren the heads up and told them to spread the word. No lessons, no ambassadorial work, no interruptions on the night of July 27th. Just him, Rayla, and a night on the town.

A night when he and Rayla could just unwind and enjoy each other’s company.

Wonder if she’d like to go out dancing, he thought as he tried to tame his unruly hair. After a minute, he gave up and just hoped that his hair wouldn’t get too out of hand.

A knock on his door drew him from his thoughts.

“Callum,” Rayla’s voice came from behind the door, “are you ready?”

“Just a minute,” he called. A final once over in the mirror and he was heading across his room to the door.

“Sorry about that,” he said, pulling the door open, “I was just—”

The words died in his throat the moment he saw Rayla. Her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail, a style that honestly suited her. The dress she’d picked out looked almost like purple datura, accents and organically curving lines of violet bleeding into pearlescent white fabric. Instead of her normal boots, she wore a pair of flats that matched her dress.

“Wow.”

Rayla frowned.

“Is that a good ‘wow’ or a bad ‘wow?”

“A bad wow? How could it be a bad wow? You’re beautiful!”

“Really?”

Rayla turned in place, inspecting her outfit.

“I can’t really tell. Formal dress’s never been my favorite thing.”

“Well, now it’s my favorite thing,” said Callum.

“I just took whatever the clerk told me I’d look good in.”

“Well, that clerk must have been a certified genius.”

Rayla looked up at him and smiled.

“Well, you don’t look too bad yourself.”

Ignoring the heat in his ears, Callum offered her his arm

“So, shall we go?”

To his delight, Rayla took it.

“We shall.”


	10. Rayla's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had a better sense of time and work ethic, this would be the final prompt. Instead, it’s more a midway prompt. It’s a day late, but what else is new. So, enjoy.

Someone was following her. Rayla knew that. Any assassin worth their salt would know that. Anyone who cared to listen would notice.

Twice the person following her had rustled a branch and tripped over something. Their breathing was deep enough to hear and she could swear she’d seen a shadow from behind a tree when she’d turned around to check.

Whoever they were, they weren’t a trained killer.

But who could it be? She wondered.

They hadn’t heard from Claudia in a while, but she was more a creature of guile than outright stealth.

So who could it be?

With any luck, they didn’t know that she was onto them.

A quick check of her surroundings and she shimmied up a nearby tree and onto an overlooking branch to wait for her pursuer to pass underneath her. If they had seen her climb the tree, then someone as rash as an untrained assassin would rush in thinking she was trapped.

She steadied her breathing, tense, ready to drop at any moment onto her unsuspecting pursuer.

Any second, they would pass beneath her and she would drop off the branch like a banther and pin them.

Any second, now…

Okay, where were they?

“Rayla?” 

At the sound of her name, Rayla started, nearly losing her grip on the branch.

“Callum?”

Her boyfriend was on the path underneath her, looking up at her confused. Annoyance flared in her chest.

“You were following me? Why were you following me? You don’t need to foll—Callum I’m in a tree!”

“Look, I’m sorry if I startled you, I was just trying to find the right time to give you this.”

From his satchel, Callum pulled a small, round package, about the size of a book wrapped in blue paper. Rayla dropped from the branch and took the package from Callum.

“And you got me this because?”

Callum’s left eyebrow rose.

“It’s your birthday,” he said, “I wanted to surprise you.”

“My birthday?” Rayla asked.

Callum nodded.

“Yeah, your birthday is July 31st, right?”

Today was her birthday? How’d she forget that one?

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to comment and leave kudos!


End file.
